Chapter 36; Fighting the Inevitable
None's POV *Note, I made a minor change to chapter 33; Emma's father is not a chemist but a librarian!*
Tired of waiting in anticipation, Zane swiftly opens the lid of the tea-pot. Zane painted on the snowflakes himself; with the help of someone he once knew in a past life.
Emma gasps in shock.
Before she could, Zane simply takes the gift out of the teapot and puts the teapot away on a nearby shelf.
Zane traces the smooth metallic surface with his thumb and lets the chain dangle freely to the side.
In his hands was a sterling silver heart-shaped locket.
Because this and the teapot was all he could get, nothing was engraved on it.
"May I?" he asks. Emma turns around while he puts the necklace around her neck. Emma turns back to face Zane and looks at the locket herself. Her fragile and delicate fingers touch the sterling locket while she looks at it pensively.
"Zane…" She tilts her head upwards, revealing her ethereal countenance entirely. Her black bangs almost cover her wavering blue eyes.
Zane instinctively holds her cheek in his hand. Her hand lets go of the necklace and holds the hand on her visage. Closing his eyes blissfully, Zane accepts Emma's warm and incomparable presence.
"I know it isn't fancy or anything but I could not afford anything else…" Zane says.
"Zane…"
Suddenly, Emma's hand shakes. Zane opens his eyes immediately. Gently, Zane grabs Emma's wrist in attempt to stop the careening. Zane dares to look inside the blue eyes that seemed to be crying inside.
"Emma, what is it that troubles you?" Zane pleads. Emma looks down.
"You already know that I cannot tell you." Emma says dryly.
"I want to protect you Emma…" Zane says.
"You can't Zane!" Emma says, "There are battles where… I won't be there to help you." Emma presses her fingers against her head.
"That does not matter now Emma." Emma turns to look at Zane, "You are here now." Zane says and presses Emma's gentle figure against him in a warm embrace. Emma feels limp in his arms.
Yet Emma squeezes Zane like a child holding a toy.
'Her grip on me is as if she may never hold me again.'
"I love you too much Zane… too much to let go…" Emma whispers in Zane's ear.
Emma somehow slips from his grip. They are still near each other. Zane catches a single tear with his thumb. Perplexed, he caresses her smooth cheek with his fingers.
"It breaks me inside when I see you like this." He says and removes his hand from her entrancing features.
"I am sorry, Zane." Emma says. "I am not strong enough to warn you… I wish I could… My destiny is near…" Before Zane can say anything, Emma reaches for him and Zane tastes the flavor of iced tea on her lips. Even though he felt the distress and lust, Zane hoped Emma could still be his. He always sensed that no matter what Emma would fade into nothing while he lingered, roaming the earth without her. Yet he does not care. Zane does not care because he needs to stay strong, for her. Emma continues to kiss Zane like she never will be able to again and Zane returns almost as passionate. Yet Zane still ponders; 'If she will in the end be torn away from me what is the point of me having these emotions in the first place?'
Zane no longer tastes the sweet taste of tea and opens his eyes.
Emma's eyes where hazed by something, Zane sensed a darker presence.
Zane still holds Emma's hand and squeezes it tighter.
Emma begins to walk away towards the door.
Hearing the door open behind him, Zane only glances at Cole who opened it.
"You two ok out here?" He says but Zane looks back at Emma. Her hand slips out of reach.
"It's begun." Emma says.
"What has begun?" Zane asks. Emma turns around and the tears on her face are manifest.
Suddenly, the alarm goes off.
Emma does not even bother to go to the bridge but instead storms out the door. Under everyone's noses the serpentine have somehow surrounded the bounty. Yet Skales is nowhere in sight. Yet right in front of the pack is Nya. Crazed, she smiles widely while her eyes glow a crimson red. Everyone in the dinning room also comes out on deck. Emma turns around to look at the Cosmic Legion.
"I-I am sorry." Emma pauses. "Yet there is only one thing left I know I can give you all." Emma walks up to Cece first and places her hand on her forehead. Suddenly they both glow a bright light, Emma white and Cece neon green. Emma lets go and Cece looks at her hands.
"What was that?" Cece asks but Emma ignores the question and moves on to Laura. Laura glows a sunny yellow. Finally Emma stares into Anne's grey eyes. Anne glows a sliver shine. Emma looks around at the Cosmic Legion members.
"I am not allowed to reveal any information because I must be the one to face my own trials. I am sorry, but that is all I can give you before you all must face the assessment." Emma walks across the deck and jumps into the mob of Serpentine. A white light below shows that Emma changed into her uniform.
The Cosmic Legion stares awestruck at each other yet they all feel more powerful.
Worried, Zane looked into the mob of Serpentine. Besides Emma, every person stared blankly at the enemy and could not process what was happening. 'Emma saw this coming.' Zane thinks. She did, yet she regrets knowing. Hopefully that was obvious by now.
"Come on you slow pokes, we got Ninjago to save!" Cece says as she jumps off the bounty following Emma. Cole takes one glance at his team; I suppose having no plan is a plan of sorts. 'Technicality…' Cole sighs and jumps off the bounty as well, like a crazy person. Yes, Emma and Cece are those crazy people. Like lemmings, it didn't take long for everyone to follow them.
Jay, still hysterical, looks into the cherry eyes of his hypnotized girlfriend. Jay could not believe what was before his eyes. It had been a fact for a long time but he still refused to accept it. How in the world is he going to UN-hypnotize her? Perhaps he could accelerate her heart rate? No, that only works for Fangpyres… right?
"I am so hooped…" Jay mumbles to himself when Nya rushes towards him of all people. Jay almost topples over when Nya tries to hit him with her weapon.
"Ok, think fast Jay. How am I—" Jay dodges another punch from Nya, "—going to save Nya?"
'Well first things first'—Jay sweeps his feet under Nya to try to trip her—'I must stop her from hurting me first.'
Sinking into the sand, Jay's feet race to the left and he dodges another punch from Nya. Feeling a small gust of air, Nya's red eyes widened when Jay's Elemental blade sliced the air centimeters in front of her face. In both of their hearts they did not want to fight but it was inevitable.
'We don't have the flute anymore and Skales is still nowhere in sight, what in Ninjago do I do now?' Jay thinks. 'Zapping her would be—' Jay is caught off guard and is thrown a few feet by Nya, '—a waste of time.' Jay wipes some sweat off his forehead.
"What if I just bring you back to the bounty?" Jay asks himself. Jay rushes towards Nya and the beautiful sling of the blade is heard. Nya moves out-of-the-way and tries to throw a dagger at Jay. Blocking it with his sword, Jay glares daggers right back at Nya. 'If only we could disable her like the time she was possessed by dark matter…' That would work.
Nya kicks high in the air but Jay blocks. Nya swings around and swipes her dagger at Jay. Jay blocks it with his elemental sword. They stand there pressing their weight against each other.
Swerving his blade around, Jay then lands a punch on Nya's arm. Nya throws an uppercut at Jay. Aching, Jay holds his chin.
"Come on! Fight it Nya! You know you do not want to fight me!" Jay pleads. Jay has a feeling it will not be easy to knock out Nya. Jay could see the red flicker in her eyes. Yet it was only a flicker.
Nya kicks Jay in the stomach. Loosing balance, Jay falls on the sand on the shore. Jay sweeps his foot under Nya's legs and trips her. Jay scrambles up to Nya and holds her down. Nya flails and kicks but Jay uses all of his strength to hold her down.
'What now?'
Nearly getting spit in the eyes, Anne turns her head around. Refocusing, she swings her katana at the scaly beast and it slits its throat. Horrified, Anne looks at the blood on her blade. 'I-I d-didn't t-think I-I w-was g-going t-to—I don't believe it… I killed it. It is dead.' Tears swell inside Anne's eyes as she feels a hand on her shoulder. She looks into the emerald eyes of Cole. They stand there for a moment in deep understanding. 'A heart has stopped beating because of me. A pair of lungs will be no longer useful.' Anne thinks
"Anne, remember what we are fighting for." Cole says.
"What are we fighting for?" Anne asks.
Cole pauses.
"For the people of Ninjago, for the lives of the innocent children staring out windows, and most of all; for righteousness and freedom"
Anne stares in aw at the sureness and steadiness of those eyes. Cole smirks and they both continue fighting the good fight.
"SNAP OUT OF IT NYA!" Jay screams.
Nya still thrashes and squirms and tries to get out of Jay's hold.
Jay does not have a clue what to do.
"Fight it! Don't you remember the times we shared, all the adventures?" Jay sighs. "Maybe if Zane can—" Jay is interrupted by a screech that tore throughout the salty air.
Jay was forced to let go of the screaming Nya and cover his ears. Jay could barely focus on what was happening.
When the scream stopped, Nya was already up off the ground. Nya put both hands in front of her and a tempestuous gale blew out of her palms. Jay flew miles away from her.
Yet after crashing into the sand, Jay still got up. He got out his sword and aimed lighting right at Nya.
Then he stopped.
He fell on his knees and held his aching stomach.
Jay almost couldn't breathe.
"I-I can't do it." He said to himself. He looked up into the red eyes of Nya. "But I have too."
Sprinting, Jay rushed up to Nya. His fist flew through the air like lightning and made contact with Nya's stomach.
Cringing in pain, Nya flew back with the wind and was knocked on the ground. Jay rushed to her side. Still breathing, Nya was knocked unconscious. Wiping a strand out of her eyes, Jay lifted her up. Then Jay solemnly carried Nya back home.
Kai stared in horror at Cece who was fighting like a maniac. Kai will regret for the rest of his life the day he showed Cece the machetes.
Smiling evilly at each Serpentine she took down, Cece looked insane. 'At least she is on our side…' Kai thinks, staring dumbstruck at Cece.
Amazingly, Cece fights well for someone who despises training. Cece swings the large knife and it is blocked by the axe of a Constrictai.
Using the machete in other hand, Cece gashes the snakes arm. Both of her machetes are free to finish off the snake.
Lurking behind the vivacious girl was a Fangpire ready to bite.
Cece turned around and dodged his attack. Yet this snake swung his legs under the warrior and tripped her.
Cece could see the slobber on the Fangpires teeth ready to bite her.
Cece was petrified and couldn't stop the teeth from biting down on—suddenly, a fiery red flashes before her green eyes.
*sighs* Battle scenes are so hard! Especially Jay and Nya! I am having trouble with them… I hope my moment with Anne and Cole was ok… I myself am not sure what they are doing exactly…. Are they killing them or knocking them unconscious? What do you guys think? There is a reason why I switched to T… Jay has some problem huh? How will Nya get un-hypnotized?
I was considering Zane proposing but they have only known each other for a summer. It seemed too early in the relationship for that… but if it wasn't too early… I would have in a heartbeat… but I wanted to tease the idea.
These feel hot off the press to me. It seems like just yesterday I wrote this chapter. I need to hurry…
Thanks everyone for the reviews! I don't believe I have 126! *Zane grabs cannon and shoots Zane-cookies at everybody*
"This is a travesty of epic proportions! I demand for there to be [more Sarcasitzu!]" ~Pythor
SergeantSarcasm7 at your service!